Outreach
Thriving parishes know that the days are gone when parishes can just presume to grow due to births or immigration. An appreciation of evangelization and a commitment to outreach are important to any understand of parish vitality. While not exactly the same, the words "outreach" and "evangelization" are often used synonymously. While terms like "evangelization" can scare some people, most Catholics are comfortable with the actual behaviors of connecting, welcoming and engaging people in the mission of the Church. When we connect, welcome and engage people in the work of the Gospel we are reaching out and carrying out the great commission of evangelization.
Vital parishes exercise this Great Commission (Mt. 28: 16-20) each and every day. In one sense, Catholic evangelization is nothing less than “bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself” (Paul VI, On Evangelization in the Modern World). In Go and Make Disciples: A National Strategy and Plan for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, the U.S. Catholic Bishops have given direction to the work of evangelization through three essential goals:
Goal I: To bring about in all Catholics such an enthusiasm for their faith that, in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others. The Catholic parish sees the evangelization of its own people as a primary purpose. As the saying goes, "You can't give, what you ain't got." On Sunday, Catholics come to hear the Word and be renewed in their baptismal identity and purpose. In the Eucharist, we recall how God has been present in the dying's and rising's of our week. At the table of the Lord, we are nourished for bearing Good News to our families, our work and our community. And because no one is fully converted, we are called as a community to continue the conversion of our lives - in mind, heart and will. It is ineffective to invite others to come and worship with us if there no vital community gathered around the table.
Goal II: To invite all people in the United States, whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ so they may come to join us in the fullness of the Catholic faith. Christ is the source of our hope. Catholics know the Good News of salvation through a rich tradition of Word, Sacrament and the witness of saints and martyrs united across the continents and throughout the centuries. In this, there is boundless cause for enthusiasm and no reason to be shy. All Catholics are capable of being messengers of Good News. Some of us are enthusiastic and explicit in sharing faith, though we freely admit to being unequal to the fullness of our profession. Others of us are less confident with verbal expressions of faith, while being no less compelling in our witness by example. Parish leaders know that sharing faith is not an act of proselytizing, but rather it is a free response, motivated by gratitude, to share the abundance of life that is ours in Christ. We know that in sharing our faith we grow in Christ.
Goal III: To foster gospel values in our society, promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and the common good of our society, so that our nation may continue to be transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ. In the Latin Mass we said, "Ite missa est" (literally, "It is sent"). This reminds us that we are called to a mission in the world. It is the authenticity of faith at home that brings people to church. The workplace and marketplace are the places where the faithful are uniquely called to exercise Gospel values. Every baptized Christian has a vocation in the world. We are co-workers in the vineyard as members of Christ's body. Catholics are committed to: the dignity of all people, a preference for the poor, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the common good, and care for creation as central to discipleship in Jesus Christ. The most compelling witness to the Gospel is offered by the lives of those who care for the suffering and by those who challenge the voices of discrimination, exploitation and complacency in our time. The Eucharist forms us into people of hope and action.
This is what Catholics mean by sharing the Good News. For ideas on how to evangelize view the following:
Consider the following as further explanation and examples of ways that parishes can reach out:
1. The Evangelizing Parish
2. Responsive Evangelization
3. Fall Changes = Opportunities for Outreach
4. Back to School AND Back to Church
5. Honoring Moms Evangelizes the Family
6. Lent Outreach Ideas
7. Exit Interviews
8. Evangelize Online
9. Sharing Good News with Millennials
10. Sharing Faith in a Post Christian Culture
11. Welcoming All Cultures is a Way to Evangelize
Vital parishes exercise this Great Commission (Mt. 28: 16-20) each and every day. In one sense, Catholic evangelization is nothing less than “bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself” (Paul VI, On Evangelization in the Modern World). In Go and Make Disciples: A National Strategy and Plan for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, the U.S. Catholic Bishops have given direction to the work of evangelization through three essential goals:
Goal I: To bring about in all Catholics such an enthusiasm for their faith that, in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others. The Catholic parish sees the evangelization of its own people as a primary purpose. As the saying goes, "You can't give, what you ain't got." On Sunday, Catholics come to hear the Word and be renewed in their baptismal identity and purpose. In the Eucharist, we recall how God has been present in the dying's and rising's of our week. At the table of the Lord, we are nourished for bearing Good News to our families, our work and our community. And because no one is fully converted, we are called as a community to continue the conversion of our lives - in mind, heart and will. It is ineffective to invite others to come and worship with us if there no vital community gathered around the table.
Goal II: To invite all people in the United States, whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ so they may come to join us in the fullness of the Catholic faith. Christ is the source of our hope. Catholics know the Good News of salvation through a rich tradition of Word, Sacrament and the witness of saints and martyrs united across the continents and throughout the centuries. In this, there is boundless cause for enthusiasm and no reason to be shy. All Catholics are capable of being messengers of Good News. Some of us are enthusiastic and explicit in sharing faith, though we freely admit to being unequal to the fullness of our profession. Others of us are less confident with verbal expressions of faith, while being no less compelling in our witness by example. Parish leaders know that sharing faith is not an act of proselytizing, but rather it is a free response, motivated by gratitude, to share the abundance of life that is ours in Christ. We know that in sharing our faith we grow in Christ.
Goal III: To foster gospel values in our society, promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and the common good of our society, so that our nation may continue to be transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ. In the Latin Mass we said, "Ite missa est" (literally, "It is sent"). This reminds us that we are called to a mission in the world. It is the authenticity of faith at home that brings people to church. The workplace and marketplace are the places where the faithful are uniquely called to exercise Gospel values. Every baptized Christian has a vocation in the world. We are co-workers in the vineyard as members of Christ's body. Catholics are committed to: the dignity of all people, a preference for the poor, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the common good, and care for creation as central to discipleship in Jesus Christ. The most compelling witness to the Gospel is offered by the lives of those who care for the suffering and by those who challenge the voices of discrimination, exploitation and complacency in our time. The Eucharist forms us into people of hope and action.
This is what Catholics mean by sharing the Good News. For ideas on how to evangelize view the following:
Consider the following as further explanation and examples of ways that parishes can reach out:
1. The Evangelizing Parish
2. Responsive Evangelization
3. Fall Changes = Opportunities for Outreach
4. Back to School AND Back to Church
5. Honoring Moms Evangelizes the Family
6. Lent Outreach Ideas
7. Exit Interviews
8. Evangelize Online
9. Sharing Good News with Millennials
10. Sharing Faith in a Post Christian Culture
11. Welcoming All Cultures is a Way to Evangelize
| the_evangelizing_parish.pdf |
| responsive_evangelization.pdf |
| fall_changes__opportunites_for_outreach.pdf |
| back_to_school_and_to_church.pdf |
| honoring_moms_is_a_way_to_evangelize_the_family.pdf |
| lent_outreach_ideas.pdf |
| exit_interview.pdf |
| evangelize_online.pdf |
| sharing_good_news_with_millennials.pdf |
| sharing_faith_in_a_post_christian_culture.pdf |
| welcoming_all_cultures_is_a_way_to_evangelize.pdf |
Parish Planning Survey - This customized survey can provide your leaders with a snapshot of parish vitality, parishioner engagement and success at the three goals in evangelization.
| parish_planning_survey.pdf |
Consider offering this three session skills training program for leaders in your parish on evangelization:
| skills_for_parish_evangelization.pdf |
Gallup has studied how some of the most vibrant churches have translated the work of outreach into intentional practices and attitudes which foster a spiritual culture of engagement engages. The resulting engagement hierarchy can be used as a yardstick for evaluating key aspects of parish culture. Gather more insight about parish capacity for mission and growth from comments made by John Roberto at the preparatory conference.
Print Resources
- Anderson, David W. From the Great Omission to Vibrant Faith: Renewing the Role of the Home in Renewing the Church. Bloomington: Vibrant Faith, 2009.
- Anderson, David W. Vibrant Faith in the Congregation. Bloomington: Vibrant Faith, 2011.
- Brennan, Patrick J. The Mission Driven Parish. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2007.
- Gilbert, Roberta M. Extraordinary Leadership: Thinking Systems, Making a Difference. Falls Church, VA: Leading Systems Press, 2006.
- Osborne, Larry Sticky Church Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Books, 2008.
- Steinke, Peter L. Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute Publ., 1996.
- Sweetser, SJ, Thomas P. Keeping the Covenant: Taking Parish to the Next Level. New York: Crossroads Publ., 2007.
- Winseman, Albert L. Growing an Engaged Church: How to Stop "Doing Church" and Start BEING the Church Again. New York: Gallup Press, 2006.
Resource Websites
Parish Resources for Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Evangelization Programs and Resources for Archdiocese of Chicago
Evangelization Resources for Diocese of Buffalo
Paulist Evangelization Ministries - Subscribe to Evangelization Exchange
Today's Parish - Ideas for Evangelization
Today's Parish - Ideas for Evangelization
Blogs
http://www.wikihow.com/Share-the-Gospel-like-Jesus - an example of how a person can share the blessings of faith as well as faith sharing methods online.
outreach, innovation, planning, strategic, vitality, evangelization, new evangelization, parish, Catholic, renewal, innovation, pastoral planning, faith formation, young adults, Millennials, Mosaics